


How Dan finally lost his marbles

by TessRinglet



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Angry Dan, Apparently no one taught Dan that eavesdropping might land him in a world of trouble, Chloe KNOWS, Chloe loves his wings, Dan processing his grief, Deckerstar - Freeform, F/M, Grieving Dan, Hurt Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV), It’s not really private you know, Mentions of Charlotte Richards, Mostly season 4 canon-ish with slight divergences, Now Dan knows too, Shot angel wings, Someone needs to tell Lucifer to stop discussing important stuff in the interrogation room, Sort Of, Still insecure Lucifer, mild mentions of blood and injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:54:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22199707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TessRinglet/pseuds/TessRinglet
Summary: Dan, still consumed with his feelings about Charlotte, ends up where he wasn’t supposed to and hears/sees more than he ever bargained for.
Relationships: Chloe Decker & Dan Espinoza, Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar, Dan Espinoza & Lucifer Morningstar
Comments: 28
Kudos: 418





	How Dan finally lost his marbles

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Lucifer in any way or form.  
> Enjoy!

In his search for some peace and quiet, Dan wandered into an empty interrogation room - not the bright, relatively comfy part of it, but the dark, somewhat isolated sector behind the one-sided glass. A perfect spot to observe the world without being seen or disturbed.

And, lately, Dan was looking for the darkest of all corners.

It’s been hard to concentrate on work at the precinct, where every little thing constantly reminded him of Charlotte, sometimes literally taking his breath away with an unexpected flood of memories.

Right there, for example, stood the desk she used to sit on, waiting for the end of Dan’s shift, laughing, and making it nearly impossible to think of anything else but that soft smile and her sparkling with joy eyes.

Charlotte’s favorite pen, forgotten in his pencil holder, now served as yet another unwanted reminder she would  _ never _ come back to pick it up. And still, Dan couldn’t force himself to throw away or at least hide it in a drawer, not willing to part even with this little piece of  _ her _ .

But, to be completely honest, no matter where he went or what he did, everything reminded Dan of his lost love.

So, in this endless attempt to hide from the pain, Dan eventually found himself sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, trying to read through case files in the dull light of the interrogation room. 

At first, Dan was able to fight the bone-deep exhaustion he felt ever since… well, for the last few weeks, but after a couple of barely contained yawns, he eventually surrendered, falling asleep right where he sat.

***

Dan didn’t know how long he’s been out for when a sudden and loud noise woke him - startled and slightly confused with his whereabouts.

Not happy at all with this abrupt awakening, he stood up and looked around for the source of the unpleasant sound.

And, of course, there  _ he _ was - Lucifer Morningstar, the walking and talking cause of Charlotte’s death. Dan could feel his blood boiling with rage at the mere thought of the man.

It was Lucifer’s never faltering flippant attitude - without a single shred of remorse for what he’s done or at least a sign he accepted responsibility for his role in the tragedy - that pissed Dan off the most.

The consultant couldn’t see him now though - thanks to the one-sided glass - and Dan was free to stare with the full intensity of his hatred. In fact, it felt absolutely amazing, finally not having to hold anything back or play nice for the sake of others.

And, speaking of the ‘others’ - Chloe stood right next to Lucifer, uncomfortably (for Dan’s liking) close, almost as if they were bound together by some invisible but unbreakable thread. Where one moved, another followed - almost dancing around each other in perfect sync without even realizing it. 

Though Dan wasn’t nearly as intimidated by their closeness now as he used to be, it was still somewhat hard to see Chloe putting seemingly endless amounts of trust in that man.

Because no matter what Lucifer did or how badly screwed things up, he always managed to bounce back, to win her over.

Again, and again.

Some double standards there, Chloe, noted Dan darkly, unable to admit that not having another chance with  _ Charlotte _ was what truly hurt the most, not the somewhat bitter memory of the unforgivable lies that ended his marriage.

Dan was still watching the couple when he suddenly noticed Lucifer’s slight stiffness and Chloe’s clearly concerned expression. Too consumed with his own uneasy thoughts, Dan totally missed their previous conversation, catching up on the last phrase.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were shot, Lucifer? Where is it?” Chloe grabbed his arm, inspecting the dark spot on his sleeve and turning her partner around, trying to find the source of the bleeding.

“Where is what, Detective?” - asked Lucifer somewhat jokingly, in a futile attempt to dodge her grip and questions alike, but Chloe clearly wasn’t playing, still anxiously examining him for any visible injuries.

“The bullet, Lucifer. Where did it hit you? And don’t you dare tell me you are okay because there is blood on your suit!”

She finally quit the frantic search and crossed her arms, staring at the consultant expectedly, obviously not intending to stop the interrogation any time soon.

Lucifer snorted, avoiding looking directly at Chloe and studying his clothes instead.

“Is there really? Another one goes to waste, then. Sacrifices I make to protect you, Detective.” 

The threatening glare Chloe gave Lucifer made Dan swallow hard, suddenly reminding of all the times his ex-wife’s wrath was unleashed. 

For a split second, he felt truly sorry for the guy who, at the moment, was on the receiving end of her painfully familiar to Dan fury.

“Lucifer, I’m really starting to lose my patience here. You will tell me what is going on, _ right now _ , or I’m taking you to a doctor.”

He gave Chloe a calculating look to confirm the validity of her threat and finally obliged, sighing heavily and suddenly looking somewhat nervous. “It’s… It’s in my wing.”

Up to this point, Dan was simply listening, a little confused and definitely more than a little worried. Not for Lucifer - the man was obviously feeling well enough to continue with his usual charades - but for Chloe, who thought that Lucifer might’ve been shot, which meant they were in the line of fire again today. Unwanted images of losing Chloe or having to tell Trixie she lost her mom - after everything he went through with Charlotte - made Dan draw in a breath.

However, the ‘wing talk’ fueled his ever-present irritation and the burning  _ desire _ to punch that smug face. He automatically expected Chloe’s usual reaction to Lucifer’s weirdness - an eyeroll, an exasperated sigh, a sarcastic remark, but none of it came. Instead, Chloe’s eyes got wide as saucers, staring at the consultant.

“Yeah, see now why I decided to keep this little detail to myself? Didn’t want to say things you wouldn’t be able to handle.” There was bitterness in Lucifer’s voice, combined with such sadness and weariness that barely suited a carefree playboy. 

For a fleeting moment, Dan saw someone ancient behind the façade of the familiar person.

Lucifer stepped away from Chloe and put his hand on the interrogation table.

“Besides, I’ll feel much better as soon as I’m not around you, Detective.”

Any shreds of sympathy Dan possibly started to feel evaporated with those words, making blood in his veins boil with rage. How dares that arrogant bastard talk to Chloe like this? Even though technically they weren’t married anymore, protective instincts of many years combined with the deep fondness Dan held for the mother of his child pushed up the rising anger, freezing him in place with the intensity of it.

On the bright side, maybe  _ now  _ Chloe will finally understand what a terrible person Morningstar really is behind all his so-called charms. Dan smiled, realizing that he was actually looking forward to seeing what was about to happen - after all, he knew his ex-wife pretty well and knew what to expect. Any second now, she would give Lucifer a piece of her mind and storm out of the room…

“I’m sorry, Lucifer. I’m sorry if I made you feel like you couldn’t confide in me. I'm sorry for the way I reacted. I know that I can’t take my mistakes back, but I really wish I could." 

The heavy guilt in Chloe's voice did nothing to alleviate Dan’s confusion that was only growing as he listened in to the conversation. 

"But please, Lucifer, from now on - don't hide stuff like this from me. Bullet wounds are definitely on the list of things I need to know about, even if you were shot… in the wing.”

Lucifer looked at her weirdly, as if he wasn’t quite sure what to say. All traces of his usual playfulness disappeared completely, replaced by this vulnerable and pained expression. 

After a few moments of quiet and, frankly, a bit awkward staring, Chloe apparently came to some sort of decision.

“I’ll be right back, okay? I’ll just grab a first-aid kit and be right back. Don’t go anywhere!”

With these words she left the room, not waiting for the reply, ponytail swinging in rhythm with her steps.

Open-mouthed Dan behind the glass was left silently asking himself what in the hell he just witnessed. However, he didn’t have a lot of time to dwell on that because, as it turned out, the real show has only just begun.

The second Chloe closed the door behind her, Lucifer’s whole figure crumpled. It looked like he was holding himself upright in front of her, and now there was no reason to keep up the façade. A hiss left Lucifer’s lips when he slumped against the table, leaning onto it with both hands to support most of his weight, face clearly distorted by pain. 

Somewhat shaky, Lucifer took a couple of uneasy breaths to try and steady himself, then spotted previously unnoticed blood on his hand, and quietly swore, wiping it down with the already ruined sleeve. 

This whole time Dan was staring, speechless, at the man who seemed totally fine just a few seconds ago and now definitely looked like a gunshot victim. The metamorphose was so astonishing that it took more time than it should've for the police training to start kicking in. But before Dan had a chance to do anything, Chloe came back holding a first-aid bag.

And, just like that, Lucifer straightened up and gained back that illusory lightness, when a blink of an eye ago he could barely catch his breath from the jolts of pain seemingly shooting through him. 

The smile on his face, however, looked sincere, and so did the way Lucifer’s eyes lit up - as they would usually do - at the sight of Chloe, who was currently checking out the kit’s contents with a satisfied expression.

“Okay, I got everything. Now, bring it on.” 

The pointed look she gave Lucifer made him slightly squirmish.

“Are you sure, Detective? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or… afraid of me.” With that last word being nearly a whisper, Lucifer flinched, this time not able to hide his slight pallor as good as he was hiding everything else.

“I’m sure, Lucifer. You need help, and besides, you got shot protecting me. Again.” Chloe looked concerned, as she immediately noticed his worsening state, and there was also the kind of softness in her eyes she rarely let show, promptly giving away just how much she cared. “The least I can do in return is dig a bullet out of your limb. Now stop being such a wuss, get your wings out, and let me help you.”

Her teasing worked like a charm, getting Lucifer’s usual and natural reaction.

“The Devil is not a wuss!” - exclaimed he indignantly, then saw Chloe’s barely suppressed smile, quickly catching up on what she’s done, and added with a sly but surprised expression. “As you wish, Detective.”

With these words, Lucifer moved his shoulders in the way resembling stretching a stiff back.

Something impossibly white slowly emerged from in-between his shoulder blades, filling the whole room with light.

“Getting more and more beautiful every time I see them,” - said Chloe with a slightly quivering voice full of unconcealed fascination, trying to even out her breathing.

“Because you quite literally bring out the best in me,” - answered Lucifer quietly and seriously, looking at Chloe with wonder in turn. 

“Well,” - she cleared her throat, interrupting the intense gaze they were sharing and finally noticing the blood on the white, together with the jammed state of his wings crumpled into the closed space of the interrogation room, - “On the afterthought, I don’t think it's a good enough place for a proper wing care, I kinda forgot how enormous they are. Can you hold on long enough ‘till we get somewhere with more space? Like the penthouse? I’ll drive.”

“You are reading my mind, Detective. But there is a far better and faster way than driving.”

When Chloe frowned, perplexed, Lucifer wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, bending slightly at the waist and offering his hand palm-up in a purely gentlemen-like gesture.

“Care for a celestial ride with the Devil?”

Chloe’s mouth came agape, and, just for a second, her eyes were filled with fear that quickly changed to enthusiasm as she nodded in agreement.

But Lucifer - who clearly noticed her little slip-up - immediately took a step back, slightly retracting his wings and looking at her without his usual confidence. 

“Are you absolutely sure, Detective? It’s not too late to change your mind, you know. The choice is all yours.”

Chloe slowly moved forward and placed the first-aid bag on her shoulder, then carefully took his face in her palms. 

“I trust you, Lucifer. And I want to help.”

He looked into her eyes and nodded.

In a blink of an eye and a whooshing sound, they were gone.

Leaving someone trembling and frozen in his place behind.

Dan didn’t remember how he ended up sitting on the floor, with case files lying all around - perfectly resembling the broken pieces of his life.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> When the idea first came to me, it was supposed to be a crack story of Dan losing his shit when he stumbles upon Chloe casually taking bullets out of Lucifer’s wings and scolding the Devil for putting himself in danger again.
> 
> Instead, I wrote this angsty little thing.
> 
> Well… to each their own, I guess.


End file.
